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    Home » Recipes » Crispy Vegan Roast Potatoes

    Crispy Vegan Roast Potatoes

    Dec 17, 2021 by The Pesky Vegan | This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission on any purchases made through those links. | 2 Comments

    85 shares
    Jump to Recipe >
    Vegan Roast Potatoes Pin

    Don't believe the hype about goose fat – these vegan roast potatoes are divine with just regular olive oil and salt. The quintessential side dish for Christmas dinner, Thanksgiving, or your weekly Sunday roast, a plant-based approach will result in roasties that are perfectly crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.

    Vegan Roast Potatoes in Bowl

    Crispy roast potatoes don't need any extra bells and whistles, but I've included garlic and rosemary in the recipe as optional ingredients that you can either include or omit.

    For more delicious vegan side dishes, see these recipes for roasted sprouts with tofu bacon, vegan dauphinoise potatoes, roasted parsnips, and vegan cauliflower cheese.

    I create new content every single week. Subscribe to keep in touch and get a free download of The Vegan Kitchen – My Top 10 Tips.

    Crispy Vegan Roast Potatoes on Baking Sheet

    Jump to:

    • Why I love 'em 💚
    • Test notes 📝
    • Which spuds? 🥔
    • Crispiness 👌
    • Ingredients 📋
    • Step by step 📷
    • To serve 🍽️
    • FAQ ❓
    • Variations 🔀
    • Recipe 👨‍🍳

    Why you'll love 'em

    • Because potatoes rule
    • They're both crispy and fluffy
    • They're free from any animal products
    • You can enhance the flavour with garlic and rosemary (or other herbs)
    Crispy Golden Roast Potatoes in Bowl

    Recipe testing notes

    • Cooking oil: Good ol' olive oil is your friend here. There's no need for it to be an extra-virgin olive oil, just a general-purpose variety. Rapeseed oil or canola oil would be the next best thing.
    • Fresh rosemary: This is optional, but highly recommended if you have it available.
    • Quantity: The amounts in this recipe will provide roughly four servings as a side. For larger quantities, be sure to use extra oven dishes to avoid overcrowding.

    Are roast potatoes vegan?

    Provided they have been cooked in plant-based oil rather than an animal product such as goose fat or beef fat, roast potatoes are a vegan side dish.

    Which potatoes are best?

    For the best results, you'll want to use a floury variety of potato such as Maris Piper or King Edward. In North America, a close equivalent would be Russet potatoes.

    Maris Pipers are also great for other recipes including aloo palak, vegan mash and the resulting mashed potato pancakes.

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    How to make roast potatoes crispy

    Achieving crispy roast potatoes comes down to a few simple steps:

    1. Peel the potatoes.
    2. Par-boil before roasting.
    3. Gently shake after draining to fluff up the surface area.
    4. Make sure the oven is hot enough but not too hot (around 180-200°C / 360-390°F).
    5. Avoid overcrowding in the pan.
    6. Use enough oil to coat.

    What you'll need

    The perfect vegan roasties require just a few simple ingredients:

    • Floury potatoes such as Maris Piper
    • Cooking oil – ideally olive oil, rapeseed oil, or canola oil
    • Salt for flavour
    • Garlic and rosemary as optional extras
    List of Ingredients to Make Vegan Roast Potatoes

    How to make crispy vegan roast potatoes

    Peel the potatoes and cut into similar-sized chunks, leaving smaller ones whole and chopping larger ones into roughly the same size.

    Add the potatoes to a large pan and cover with water (1). Sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt, cover with a lid, and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

    Recipe Process Shots - Parboiling Potatoes then Draining and Shaking

    Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C (360°F).

    After simmering for 5 minutes, you should be able to just pierce the potatoes with a knife. Drain into a colander and give them a gentle shake to fluff up the edges (2). Allow the potatoes to steam-dry for a few minutes.

    Add the olive oil to a large roasting tin and place in the oven for a few minutes to heat up. Once hot, remove from the oven and carefully place the potatoes in the hot oil (3).

    Turn each potato over to coat with the oil, sprinkle with a little salt, then roast in the oven for 20 minutes.

    Recipe Process Shots - How to Roast Potatoes without Goose Fat

    After 20 minutes, turn the potatoes over. If using garlic and rosemary, add the bashed garlic cloves and rosemary leaves. Return to the oven for another 20-30 minutes or until crispy and golden (4), turning over once or twice again to get some colour on all sides.

    Once the potatoes are cooked through and crispy on the outside, remove from the oven. Remove the garlic and rosemary and serve.

    Serving suggestions

    Roast potatoes are a staple at any Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Sunday roast table, along with the likes of vegan cauliflower cheese, vegan roasted sprouts with bacon, and roasted Jerusalem artichokes.

    They're also a versatile side dish that can play a supporting role in many meals, including:

    • Vegan haggis with whisky cream sauce
    • Stews such as smoky jackfruit chilli or lemony butter bean stew
    • Grilled tofu steaks or grilled king oyster mushrooms
    • Curries including chana masala, rajma masala, and tofu jalfrezi
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    Recipe FAQ

    Do I need to boil the potatoes before roasting?

    It's not strictly necessary, but it's how you'll make sure you get the outsides nice and crispy. By parboiling the potatoes, you'll soften the outer layer, making it easy to fluff up the surface in a colander.

    Do I need to peel the potatoes before roasting?

    You can certainly roast potatoes with the skin on, but peeling will give you the soft outer surface area to get them extra crispy and golden in the oven.

    Are roast potatoes gluten-free?

    Some recipes and shop-bought varieties may include wheat flour for additional crispiness, so it's best to check the ingredients. This recipe here is 100% gluten-free.

    How long will they keep in the fridge?

    You can store the roasted potatoes in the fridge for up to four days.

    Can you freeze roast potatoes?

    You sure can. Once cool, store in the freezer for up to six months.

    Variations and tips for crispy roast potatoes

    • Pepper: I don't include it here, but feel free to add black pepper along with the salt.
    • Herbs and spices: Mix it up with thyme, sage, smoked paprika, chilli powder, or cumin powder.

    Hey you – let me know what you think

    If you made this recipe and enjoyed it – or did anything differently – I'd love to hear from you down below in the comments 👇

    You can also find me and let me know on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook @thepeskyvegan 🌿

    Keep in touch

    Subscribe below to get your free download of The Vegan Kitchen – My Top 10 Tips, featuring 10+ pages of personal experience and advice to set you up for success with your plant-based cooking. 👇

    More vegan recipe ideas

    If you liked this recipe, you may also enjoy:

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    You can also check out my full list of vegan sides.

    Full recipe

    Vegan Roast Potatoes in Bowl

    Crispy Vegan Roast Potatoes

    The Pesky Vegan
    Don't believe the hype about goose fat – these vegan roast potatoes are divine with just regular olive oil and salt. Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, they're right at home for Christmas dinner, Thanksgiving, or your weekly Sunday roast.
    5 from 1 vote
    Rate this Recipe Pin Recipe Print Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 55 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine British
    Servings 4
    Calories 271 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    • 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
    • 2.2 lb (1 kg) potatoes (I used Maris Piper but other floury varieties such as King Edward or Russet would work fine)
    • Salt, to taste
    • 3-4 sprigs fresh rosemary (optional)
    • 4 garlic cloves (optional)
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Peel the potatoes and cut into similar-sized chunks, leaving smaller ones whole and chopping larger ones into roughly the same size.
    • Add the potatoes to a large pan and cover with water. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt, cover with a lid, and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
    • Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C (360°F).
    • After simmering for 5 minutes, you should be able to just pierce the potatoes with a knife. Drain into a colander and give them a gentle shake to fluff up the edges. Allow the potatoes to steam-dry for a few minutes.
    • Add the olive oil to a large roasting tin and place in the oven for a few minutes to heat up. Once hot, remove from the oven and carefully place the potatoes in the hot oil. Turn each potato over to coat with the oil, sprinkle with a little salt, then roast in the oven for 20 minutes.
    • After 20 minutes, turn the potatoes over. If using garlic and rosemary, add the bashed garlic cloves and rosemary leaves at this point. Return to the oven for another 20-30 minutes or until crispy and golden, turning over once or twice again to get some colour on all sides. You can increase the heat slightly to help with this, but be careful not to overdo it.
    • Once the potatoes are cooked through and crispy on the outside, remove from the oven. Remove the garlic and rosemary and serve.
      Serving suggestions include vegan haggis, grilled tofu steaks, or lemony butter bean stew.
      📸 Recipe steps >
      📖 Table of contents >
    Rate this recipe 👇

    Notes

    Quantity: The amounts above will provide roughly four servings as a side. For larger quantities, be sure to use extra oven dishes to avoid overcrowding.
    Pepper: I don't include it here, but feel free to add black pepper along with the salt.
    Other herbs: Herbs such as thyme and sage would also work well with roast potatoes.
    Spices: Change things up with a little smoked paprika, chilli powder, or cumin powder.
    Storage: Refrigerate the roasted potatoes for up to four days or freeze for up to six months.
    See recipe testing notes and recipe FAQ sections for more info.
     
    * The nutrition info below is for one serving, based on a total of four servings.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 271kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 5gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gSodium: 596mgPotassium: 960mgFiber: 5gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 5IUVitamin C: 45mgCalcium: 33mgIron: 2mg
    Nutrition Facts
    Crispy Vegan Roast Potatoes
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 271 Calories from Fat 99
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 11g17%
    Saturated Fat 2g13%
    Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
    Monounsaturated Fat 8g
    Sodium 596mg26%
    Potassium 960mg27%
    Carbohydrates 40g13%
    Fiber 5g21%
    Sugar 2g2%
    Protein 5g10%
    Vitamin A 5IU0%
    Vitamin C 45mg55%
    Calcium 33mg3%
    Iron 2mg11%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Keyword how to roast potatoes, vegan christmas, vegan potato recipe
    Did you make this recipe?Leave a comment down below or tag me on Instagram @thepeskyvegan along with the hashtag #thepeskyvegan
    Get ingredientsBrowse ingredients for this recipe and more at Zero Waste Bulk Foods! UK only. Free delivery on orders over £60. I may earn a small commission on purchases made through the link above.

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Laura

      January 27, 2022 at 4:58 pm

      5 stars
      Excellent. At first I wasn't convinced about using oil but they turned out great!

      Reply
      • The Pesky Vegan

        January 27, 2022 at 5:01 pm

        Glad to hear it, thanks very much for the review!

        Reply

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